One Picture
by AnnaTW
Summary: A picture is worth a thousand words.


**I can totally picture this.**

Pictures told a lot about people. They could show people's relationships. How they felt about one another at that moment in time. Their moods then and there. If they were happy or sad or grumpy. Or they could simply show people at a significant moment in their lives. A moment they wanted to remember. A picture _is_ worth a thousand words after all.

One picture. That's all it took. One picture, at one specific event that told everyone what they needed to know. It was from the latest party. No one was interested where it was taken, but they were stood on a red carpet with flashing lights going off from every direction towards them. It told people where they stood with each other, and how their relationship had changed. From the outside it would have looked like nothing at all had changed since the last party. How much could have possibly gone on in the space of four weeks to make them different? But if you looked closely you would see it. The picture told people three things. Three things which all added to one conclusion.

They are happy.

Impossibly happy. You could see it in their mannerisms as they walked along the red carpet. And the picture caught a moment of it perfectly. It was clear as the day is long. If you think about it they had always been a happy pair. Always joking and laughing, having fun and making it through the day together. But they seemed especially care free in this particular picture. Tony had clearly said something amusing and, most probably, suggestive. The way his smile had widened showed he was proud of what he had just said. Pepper was also giving away her joy. You could see her lips curled upwards in a bright smile, although she was obviously trying to suppress it. To repeat she was _trying_ to. The fact she couldn't even hide a smile must have told people. They seemed much more comfortable and relaxed around each other. Much happier.

They are intimate.

They were clearly closer. And much more friendly than normal. The pair of them had always been touchy feely that was common knowledge, but it had always been Tony who got close to Pepper. However in this picture, both of them were invading each other's personal spaces. Tony was angled towards Pepper. His whole body turned her way and he was leaning in to her. As he said, whatever crude comment it was he said, Tony's nose was half buried in her hair. His lips must have been brushing her skin as he talked. And Pepper wasn't pushing him away. Her own head angled more towards Tony so that she could hear what he said. It was almost as though they were sharing secrets. Secrets that couldn't be heard by anyone else. Like they were theirs. Now, as far as the people watching could tell, that's not what friends did. Sure they hugged and got close at times of need, but not when they were just posing along a red carpet as employer and employee. Much more intimate.

They wanted it.

For the past ten years, people could tell they had wanted it. Tony had been gasping for it. Not that he couldn't get it anywhere else, but his PA's were like a mission to him. And when the professional, composed and completely gorgeous Pepper Potts was employed Tony was screwed. No way was she giving in and so no way was Tony getting what he wanted. But this picture showed different. For all people knew they were already at it, they looked like they had been for a while. Tony's hand was hanging low on her back, and it was swung quite tightly around her waist, looking as though he was protective of her. It made him look desperate too. Desperate to have her body close to his. Pepper only reciprocated Tony's actions. Her arm that would have idly hang by her side before now crossed her body so that her hand could cling to the lapel of Tony's suit. She wanted him close too. Pepper was welcoming his advances all the same and the way her fingers were rumpling his jacket from clinging to it showed her need.

People said a picture is worth a thousand words. A thousand words of what though? Who could possibly say a thousand words about one picture. Even if the picture screamed out new, interesting, things. Things reporters could twist and turn into gossip. A picture couldn't be worth a thousand. This one showed everything people needed to know. And it only said three.

They. Are. Dating.

**Bit different and a bit short. But a story is a story. Verdict?**

**And I just want to spread my love to all of you fanfic people. You're stories and comments and messages get me through the days. Thank-you all :) AnnaTW**


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